February 2019 – How To Wow Now

Retailing at the “brick and mortar” locations has certainly taken a lot of hits in recent years with all that is available for online shopping. Retailers are constantly trying to come up with something to grab the attention of the shopper and regain some of the dollars she has to spend.

Well, a new concept has come along. A store has been opened at Westfield’s Garden State Plaza in Paramus. It is called The Gathering Shops. What is so exciting about this store is that it is a space that will feature emerging designers selling boutique type clothing, jewelry, home goods, kids clothes, beauty products and I guess just about anything that they choose to showcase. This is a new market experience in an open space. It is inspiring and many handmade products are gathered for your shopping experience. The designers will switch out every 2-3 months. As the designers are rotated there will be exclusive events. It is such a welcoming space. The concept will encourage the shopper to make The Gathering Shops a regular stop to see what is new.

I could not leave without making a purchase. I chose the 4Way Bag in luminous. Whatever light you catch changes the color of the bag. It is made by junell5 (retail $65.00) The bag reminds me of origami! There are 4 ways to snap the bag into shape and the straps can be made long or short. Nothing like having fun with a new purchase. The following are 3 of the four shapes. Tote, tote with flat bottom, diamond, and there is a cube shape too. Make a point of stopping by The Gathering Shops. Maybe one will open soon in a mall near you.

2019 has stared off with a bang. Not only have temperatures been freezing but I had absolutely the worst case of strep throat. I was in bed for a good portion of the month and could not put any fashionable thoughts together. For me, that is saying a lot! We did not even have a dinner out until the 17th. Everyone was teasing that all the local restaurants were organizing a search party.

Now that I am feeling better I thought I would give you a look at the colors for spring summer 2019.

My source for this is Pantone. The palette is quite glorious! The “mindset” for the season continues to give us colors that are empowering. They communicate confidence and lift our spirits. The colorful hues are allowing us to be creative in how we each will combine the colors. Bringing together high fashion and looks from the street, Pantone has given us the following top 12 “stand out” colors and 4 classic neutrals (Soybean 13-0919, Eclipse 19-3810, Sweet Corn 11-0106, Brown Granite 19-0805)